A Malaysian national with a UN identity card was arrested Thursday while trying to fly out from Afghanistan's main airport with 200 grams of opium, the airport police chief said.

"He was arrested this morning at around 11:00 am (0630 GMT) - he was hiding some 200 grams of opium in his pockets," commander Aminullah Khan said.

The man had an identity card saying he worked for the United Nations in Afghanistan and a Malaysian passport, Khan said.

He had been due to catch a flight to India and had tried to throw away his ticket when police stopped him, he said.

For the streets of Europe

UN officials could not immediately confirm the arrest.

In the past few weeks at least four Nigerian nationals have been arrested at the same airport for trying to smuggle out several kilograms of heroin.

Afghanistan produces about 87 percent of the world's illicit opium, most of which is used to make heroin sold on Europe's streets.